Xiaying Dist.

Geese, silkworms, and bleak bean are the focus of the Shaying District Industry and Culture Museum, where the industrial culture of the district is introduced. The museum is refurnished from a 30-year-old idle warehouse. Zones in the museum include the Shaying Agriculture Development Zone, Silk Product Zone, Silkworm Zone, Daily Life Zone, Multimedia Zone, Silkworm Industry Culture Zone, Ancient Farming Tool Zone, Black Bean Industrial Culture Zone, Goose Industiral Culture Zone, Native Art and Culture Zone, and Shaying Farmers’ Association Sales Zone.

Occupying an area of 2 hectares, the Wuchengen Park is equipped with tourism facilities including the Xiawu Platform, Xianwu Pavilion, Chengen Bridge, and Guanhu Tower. With bridges, rivers, kiosks, pavilions, and gorgeous scenery, the park is the ideal recreational spot for residents of Xiaying District. Next to the entrance of the park, there stands a stone tablet “Xiaying Beiji Xuantian Shangdi Temple History”, recording the story of Xuantian Shangdi.

The color paintings present at Datun Community were the works of local country painter Wu Tzung-Yi. In an effort to highlight the local features, the themes of his paintings focused on pastoral atmospheres and religious beliefs by integrating elements of paddy harvesting, fruit harvesting, buffalos, temple activities, temple architectures, parade formations and so forth to not only bring life to the atmospheres of the countryside but also inject vitality to the community.

Haiqianbenjia Farmer’s Leisure Park was built in 1985 as the family home of Tseng Bo-jen, a wealthy businessman in Xiaying. Mr. Tseng made his fortune in Japan before returning to his hometown to build the Tseng family mansion covering more than 100m2. Other members of the Tseng family could also stay at the mansion and none could match their wealth and influence at the time. The mansion later sat empty and abandoned for 30 years but its green tiles and red brick continued to proudly soldier on in the heart of Xiaying District.

Xiaying Xuan Tian Shang Di Temple (下營玄天上帝廟) is a landmark and Xiaying’s belief center. It was built in 1661, it is said by Liu Guo-xuan, a general under Koxinga, when he settled in Xiaying. After being rebuilt a few times, it is now a large and imposing three-story temple. The third day of the third lunar month every year is Xuan Tian Shang Di’s birthday; from the first to fifth day of the third lunar month, Xiaying is busier than at any other time of year when a religious carnival takes place.

Mr. Yan Shui-long(顏水龍先生) was one of the most famous painters Tainan has produced. Born at Hongmaocuo(紅毛厝, Xiaying), he was encouraged by a Japanese, Mr. Sawada Takeo(澤田武雄先生), to study painting in Japan and he later studied in Paris. He was a pioneer of oil painting in Taiwan. After Yan passed away in 1997, to commemorate his contribution to public art and fine art, the memorial garden was established. The park has a memorial hall and family temple; the master’s life’s experience are introduced and his works displayed in the hall.